Orchids in Manhattan
by As1anPersuas1on
Summary: Annabeth is a strong willed young woman who has turned away many suitors, much to her father's dismay. Percy is a man with a sick wife, and debt up to his ears. When Frederick Chase offers him money to try and woo his determined daughter, Percy takes a gamble, but will he be able to remember why he ended up courting her, and keep his emotions in check?
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

"Get the heck away from me!"

Annabeth furiously pushed away the all too eager bachelor seated across from her on the settee.

"What is wrong with you?! You think it's okay to just come into my house and start necking me the first minute we are alone together?!"

The man, Luke, sauntered over and got dangerously close to Annabeth's face.

"Hey now, I didn't do anything you wouldn't want to do. I would make it enjoyable. With a woman as gorgeous as yourself you should be use to this."

He leaned in to try and seal his lips on hers but was stopped by a sudden stinging on his left cheek. She had actually slapped him.

And it felt good. "You louse! You must think you're a real Sheik if you can come here and act like this. But you're not, and I never want to see you again." Annabeth pointed to the door.

Luke stormed off in a fury, but not before turning back to utter one last taunt. "You'll be lucky to find a man half as good as me." With that he strolled out of the Chase mansion with a mission to find a more submissive and less opinionated wife.

 _What a louse. He'd be half as lucky to find a woman as opinionated as me. Maybe then he'll get some proper manners thumped into that big head of his._

Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief. Why her father kept pushing bachelors at her was one of the most misguided notions that she had ever been a part of. Sitting on the settee, she picked up her current reading obsession and started gazing at the words and letting the sentences create pictures in her mind.

Of course this small peace she had created would not last long, for her father entered the room with ever mounting disappointment.

"He's gone already? Did you even give this one a chance?" Frederick Chase scrambled to the door to see if he could catch Luke before he got too far away, but returned to the sitting room melancholy.

"I didn't need to give him a chance. He just came in here and started necking me." She said all this with indignation and without taking her eyes off of the book in her hands.

Frederick groaned aloud, "Why don't you ever consider the men that I try to introduce you to?"

"Because, that was the 27th..."

"57th", Frederick cut in.

"...man you've tried to make me fall in love with. And I want nothing to do with them."

"Why was I cursed with such a beautiful daughter that hates men?" Frederick sat on the chair opposite the settee with his hands in his hair and elbows on his knees.

 _Because, your beautiful daughter has more common sense than most of these men have in their entire bodies. Just because I'm attractive doesn't mean I want a man to love me for that reason alone._

Annabeth stood and walked around to lean on her father's shoulders. "You know I am more than just a pretty face. I have thoughts, question, opinions, and debates that I want to experience. My whole life is not surrounded by men trying to woo me because of my physical beauty. Besides, I want someone to love me despite what I look like. I want him to still love me when I'm old and greying and saying nonsense."

Frederick laid his hand on top of hers that was resting on his shoulder. "I know that. It's just that I want you to find the love that your mother and I had."

Annabeth closed her eyes and sighed. It was getting easier to acknowledge her mother's death, but that didn't make it any less painful that she was gone. "I always imagined that you and mom were the poster couple for true love. When I was little I imagined that she was Sleeping Beauty and you were her prince to kiss her."

Frederick smiled and reminisced about his late wife. Athena was the center of his whole world; and when she passed not two years ago, it was almost unbearable. He looked up at his daughter and was suddenly struck with how terribly lucky her was to have her with him and not married like he previously insinuated. Without his precious Annabeth he would be face down in a ditch somewhere wallowing in his own depression and despair. It was Annabeth that reminded him that he always had a piece of his wife with him, living through their daughter.

"Who's to say that I wasn't a prince? I'm hardly a Prince Philip, but I did have certain quality about me that had the ladies swooning at the sight of me. Luckily your mother got to me first with a vice grip and scared away any other girls that even breathed near me."

"Was it love at first sight?" Annabeth asked.

"It was more, intimidating at first sight. Of course she was beautiful, and that terrified me, but when she spoke, it was like you were speaking to a professor. She knew about things that I only pretended to be interesting in, just to impress her. She could go on for hours about science, politics, and economics. She was really something."

"Not unlike another young lady that you so happen to love and cherish," Annabeth added in. It felt good to joke around with her father again.

"Not unlike another you lady that I love very much." Frederick smiled and patted his daughter's hand lovingly. "Just, promise me that you won't push away a man if you think you're falling for him. Promise me that you won't shut yourself out. You'll never find love if you keep putting walls up."

Annabeth rubbed his shoulders affectionately and sighed. "I promise. Besides, if I do, then I am doomed to be a Fitzgerald romantic for the rest of my life. And we wouldn't want that would we?"

"Of course not. I need grandchildren after all. Now, why don't you put down your studies and go out shopping or see a show? We don't have to work now with the money coming in."

"I know, it's just that I like reading and learning more. I may not know a lot about being a hopeless romantic, but I love reading about them." She giggled and gave her father a hug as he stood to put on his coat and hat. "Now where are you off to?"

"The speakeasy down the street."

"Now dad, are you sure you should be going. After everything that's happened..."

"I know, I learned my lesson, and I promise to back home in one piece and not singing God Save the Queen."

"Thank you. Now go have fun, I'm just going to finish this chapter."

"I'll be back soon. I love you, owl." Frederick kissed the top of Annabeth's head and he headed out the door whistling a jazzy tune.

Annabeth watched him go out of the large front windows and sighed. _He wants grandchildren, but I want to make something of myself._ As promised she finished one more chapter, but not of her romance novels that many young girls fawned over, but an architecture book; and inside those complicated pages, Annabeth finally felt that day, content.

 _God Save the Queen- national/royal anthem in Commonwealth realms, territories, and the British Crown_

 _R &R_


	2. Chapter 2

_Oh my goodness! I am so excited that you guys like this story. It makes my heart happy. :)_

 _I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

"Grover, would you mind pouring me another? Today's bills need more than one glass to make me feel better."

The bartender grabbed his tumbler and poured another scotch to his best friend sitting across the counter from him.

"She's not improving at all?" Grover asked with concern in his voice.

"No, in fact she's getting worse. The doctors want me to start moving on with my life. They say it's not healthy for me to be pining for something that probably will not happen. They said it in more doctor terms, but it basically means false hope."

"Hey," Grover put a comforting hand on Percy's shoulder. "Rachel is a strong woman, she'll pull through." Grover removed his hand to start drying glasses.

"I'm not so sure anymore. The treatments are getting more expensive and I'm quickly running out of savings to pay for the medicine she needs to recover. I sold my wedding ring just to get to where I am now. I'm barely scraping by as it is." Percy ran a hand through his already disheveled hair and took a drink of the scotch.

"I'm sorry to hear that, maybe I can work the schedule around here, and you can come in and do a few hours?"

"Thanks Grover, but it still wouldn't be enough to bring Rachel out of her coma." Percy sighed dejectedly as he got lost in his thoughts. "Ya know, she use to make me sing to her. Isn't that crazy?"

Grover laughed, "I haven't heard you sing since we were kids. Even then, you only knew Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

Percy smiled for the first time in a long while. "It was before, when she was just sick. She told me that she wanted my voice to be the last thing she heard before she fell asleep every night." Percy stared at the far wall and remembered back to when his wife was conscience, and he would sing to her before going to bed.

 _Blue skies smilin' at me_

 _Nothin' but blue skies do I see_

 _Bluebirds singin' a song_

 _Nothin' but bluebirds all day long_

 _Never saw the sun shinin' so bright_

 _Never saw the things goin' so right_

 _Noticing the days hurrying by_

 _When you're in love, my how they fly_

The last note seemed to float and do exactly as the lyric suggested, fly. Grover looked at him in an expression of awe and respect. "Wow Perce, that was a lot better that Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

Percy shook his head at his friend's humor and sighed. "Yeah, but now I don't need to be singing since I don't have anyone to sing to, or about." He finished the rest of the glass and Grover refilled it as the front door opened with the sound of a bell announcing someone's arrival.

"Two bottles of Aberfeldy, Grover, and go ahead and open one of them to start pouring."

"Hi Mr. Chase, what's the occasion?" Grover pulled the bottles from the back shelf and poured one into a tumbler to hand it to Frederick.

Frederick sat down on the high bar stool next to Percy and leaned his forearms on the bar. "Well, you see, I am mourning the loss of another promising future son-in-law." Frederick knocked back the drink and Grover poured another.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir. What do you mean by a 'promising future son-in-law'?" Grover went back to cleaning glasses while Percy tilted his head to listen in.

"It's my daughter Annabeth," Frederick began. "She's so stubborn. Every time I try to make a match with her, she throws them out without the promise of ever seeing them again. I think tonight was the 50th bachelor she's wounded, emotionally I mean."

"Well, sir, if you don't mind me saying. Perhaps your daughter isn't comfortable with all the attention that these men are giving her?" Percy wanted to feel like he was useful somewhere, and what better place to put your two cents in than at a bar.

"No," Frederick rolled his eyes. "She's one of the most beautiful young women I know. But I am a little biased. She takes after her mother." Mr. Chase reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. "There, you see?" He pulled out a small photo of him and an astounding young lady. "That was taken just weeks ago. Pretty isn't she?"

Pretty had not even begun to describe what she looked like. Breathtaking was a more appropriate word. As soon as Percy saw her, he felt an awfully comforting jolt in his stomach and chest. She had the most beautiful golden hair, with princess curls that would make a model jealous. Her figure was gorgeous and she had an elegant face. But what really captivated him was her eyes. They were a blue, almost like a stormy grey color. They looked as though they could see into your very soul. There was such fire, intelligence, and passion in those eyes that it was easy to believe that 50 men had wanted to woo her.

"My oh my, Mr. Chase. You have one fine filly. It's too bad she doesn't like men." Grover said while he started to wipe off the counters and tables.

"It's not that she doesn't like men. It's just that she doesn't like the men I choose for her." Frederick leaned his head back and let in relax while he closed his eyes.

Percy took the opportunity to know more about this Annabeth. "If you don't mind me asking, sir. But what seems to go wrong during these dates?"

"Well, she seems to hate the fact that all they do is tell her how beautiful she is. I tell you, I will never understand women." Frederick shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Of course she does. Women don't want to hear about how beautiful they are." Percy got up from the stool and started walking around for emphasis. "They already know how beautiful they are. They want to see if we notice the other qualities about them that make them feel special. They want to be loved first by their inward beauty, and then you can shower them with adornment. That is the only true way to make a woman fall in love."

Mr. Chase looked at Percy with a mixture of awe and puzzlement. Never having heard that before, he inquired more. "So what should a man do to get a woman to fall in love with him?"

Percy paced for a few moments with his hand on his chin and the other on his hip. "He must first acknowledge her intelligence and also do sweetly romantic things. Walks in the park, or a surprise picnic are what come to mind. Find a man that is not afraid to be brutally honest with her, but he will not try to change her. Find a man that can accept her for who she is, not what she looks like. With a man like that, I guarantee your daughter will fall in love."

Frederick was again astounded by this man's apparent knowledge of the opposite sex. "Yes, I do see know how that would work. But where would I find such a man?"

Grover perked up his head and eagerly looked in Percy's direction.

"You," Mr. Chase said while also looking at Percy. "You could make my daughter fall in love with you."

Percy was taken aback by this sudden idea of Mr. Chase's. He obviously could not make this mysterious daughter fall in love with him. It had been ages since he had dated and he was, after all, still legally married. _Although his wife was in a coma with little chance of making it unless he stumbled upon a huge fortune._ "I'm sorry sir, I just cannot do what you are asking of me."

"Oh come now. My daughter is beautiful, and all you have to do is show up at my house and see if she will invite you back. In fact, I will pay you every time you visit my daughter until she falls in love with you." Frederick pulled out a considerable amount of cash and handed it over for Percy to inspect.

Percy looked at the money with apprehension, but also thought about what that money could do for him. Grover was giving him an encouraging look, probably telling him to take the money and not think about the consequences it would bring. "I still can't do it, Mr. Chase."

Percy gave the money back and was heading towards the door when he heard Mr. Chase exclaim "Wait!"

He looked back to see Frederick pulling more money out of his wallet and extending it towards him. "Think of this as being a down payment. And if she invites you back, you will receive twice as much as this per date. What say you?"

Percy stood there for what felt like hours before taking a deep breathe and extending his hand. "Deal."

 _Blue Skies- A song written by Irving Berlin in 1926. Most famously sung by Ella Fitzgerald._

 _Take Me Out to the Ball Game- A Tin Pan Alley song written by Albert Von Tilzer and Jack Norworth._

 _R &R_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for the reviews. I will keep them in mind from now on. :)_

 _I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

Annabeth sat up in bed the next morning with a sense of peace and tranquility. Probably because the last creep that will ever be formally accepted into her home was kicked to the wayside by her. That thought made her giggle slightly while she got up to ready herself for the day. She had plans to go to the museum in order to look at the art its history. There was a new section dedicated to Ancient Greece, and she wanted to look into the architecture.

Dressing in a casual green dress, she styled her curly blonde hair, into a fashionable ponytail and headed downstairs to meet her father for breakfast. On her way down the staircase she stopped and heard two distinctly male voices conversing in the sitting room. One was obviously her father, but the other was not as deep but certainly just as masculine. She pictured a young man asking her father for a loan or advice. As she turned the corner to enter the room, she faltered a step when she laid eyes on the other gentleman. That was certainly what he was, and there would only be one reason a bachelor would be in her house.

Inwardly rolling her eyes, Annabeth huffed and thought to herself, _great, another one. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought I was dripping in honey for how many flies I'm catching._ She refused to acknowledge the stranger and instead trained her eyes on her father and silently asked him for an explanation. Frederick looked at her with a smile and something akin to pride and extended his hand for her to take. She reluctantly took it and he brought her closer, and in consequence closer to the gentleman.

"Annabeth, I would like you to meet Percy." Her father extended his other hand to the newly named Percy and he bowed at the waist to her in greeting. _None of the other suitors had done that._ She ducked her chin slightly in acknowledgement but still looked at her father for further explanation. "I met him last night at the speakeasy and he wanted to meet you." Percy raised his eyes to her, cocked and eyebrow and lifted the corner of his mouth in a smirk. _So, you think you can just walk in here and I'll just fall all over you? Well, we will soon remedy that._

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Annabeth." Percy took her hand and kissed her knuckles in an old fashioned way.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father slip out of the room and give both of them an encouraging look. "The pleasure is all mine, Percy." She plastered a sickly sweet smile on her face that usually had men drooling over themselves. Percy, however, smirked again and sat on the settee in a relaxed manner. Almost as if he had done it a dozen times before. _Cocky little son of a gun._

She sat herself beside him on the settee but with enough space between them to still fit another body. "So, has father set you up to this?" She happened to miss the stiffening of his spine and the wide look he gave her. "Because the only reason an eligible bachelor would willing be in this house is if he is fawning over my beauty, or father is blackmailing him."

She gave him a pointed look, and for the first time since she walking into that room, she really looked at him. She saw dark, almost black hair that was messy, but in a stylish way. Almost as if he tried to comb it but it would not stay and so he just runs his hands through it. _Darn, it actually looks good on him. Not scruffy like I accused Leo's of being._ She moved from his hair to his face. She saw a straight nose, strong jaw, free of any stubble, and a thin mouth with firm lips. Her eyes moved back up to study his. The eyes are the windows to the soul and she wanted to see what his held.

Her breath caught in her throat, and though she would never admit to it, his eyes captivated her. They were an intense green, like the ocean on a clear day. She could drown herself in his eyes. She could sense confidence, strength and power. This was a man that was used to getting what he wanted, even if he had to work hard to get it. There was also a hint of uncertainty. Where did that come from? For a man as confident as he appeared, why was there uncertainty in his eyes?

He cleared his throat and pulled her out of the depth of his eyes. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm here for the reasons that your father said earlier. I heard him talk about you at the bar, and was curious if you are really all he said you were."

"No doubt he mentioned how gorgeous I was, and needed to find a husband."

"Well, personally I don't see what all the great fuss is about." He crossed his legs and reclined while putting his hands behind his head.

Annabeth balked at his brazenness. "Excuse me?"

After realizing how his last sentence sounded, Percy sat straight again and tried to remedy his mistake. "Not that I don't think you're attractive, but I'm more interested in other things." He tried to take on a more sweet and seductive tone so he wouldn't be kicked out as quickly as the other suitors had been. "For example, what have you been reading lately?"

She was taken back by this question. None of the other men had asked her what she was reading. "I've..lately been reading Fitzgerald, but Wilde has always interested me…" She was not sure how he would take this information.

He smiled and and nodded. "His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God." Percy stood and walked behind the settee as he continued to quote. "So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star." He stood directly behind Annabeth while she sat ramrod straight. He bent slightly so he could whisper the words into her ear. " Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete." Her eyes and closed and he took the opportunity to almost imperceptibly inhale her scent before straightening.

Annabeth opened her eyes and breathed deeply to try and steady her heartbeat. _Point to you sir, you have managed to stay in my house for longer than 10 minutes._ "So I gather you are also a Fitzgerald fanatic?" She half turned to face him again and he shrugged.

"I tend to appreciate the finer things in life." He did that smirk that just lifted the corner of his mouth and Annabeth felt her mouth turn as well. "There is one thing though, that has left me curiouser." He came back around the settee and sat himself on the arm rest. "Why does the thought of love frighten you so much?"

Annabeth's brow furrowed. _How dare he assume something like that about me. As right as it was, how did he even begin to know something so intimate about me?_ "How do you-"

Percy interrupted her and resumed, "From what your father has told me. You rejected so many men, not because they were not good matches, but for another reason. The only other reason I can think of is because you are afraid that someone would love you for something other than your beauty."

Annabeth stopped and stared at him, but not looking at him. It was almost as if she was really looking at the wall behind him. "It's not he thought of love that scares me, it's the thought of being in love."

"Is there a difference to you?'

"Of course there's a difference." Annabeth stated. "You can love someone, but it takes two to be in love. Love, is like a garden. Sure you can water and plant the seeds, but it takes time and dedication to keep the garden alive. I also don't like the idea that someone is dependent on me for their love. And it scares me just as much that one day I will be dependent on someone else to help keep the garden thriving." _Since when did I start pouring out my ideology to strange men? Get a grip!_

"So you don't like having to be dependent on someone. That someone can completely shake your foundation."

"Exactly. Being single is a certainty. Status quo."

"But maybe, you'll actually like it. Maybe you just haven't found the right guy that you would willing give up your control to."

Annabeth made the most unladylike snort imaginable. "Maybe, I guess I just haven't found the right flower yet." She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked inwardly. _Surely that will get him to leave. I've made it plenty clear that I have high standards that no one will meet._

Percy stood and walked around the perimeter of the room. "I think, I would be an orchid."

"What?" Annabeth snapped out of her reverie and looked at Percy with confusion.

"The kind of flower that I think I would be, is an orchid," Percy said deliberately.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because orchids are unique. Plus, you can have many flowers in a garden, it only takes one orchid to change a garden."

He let Annabeth ponder his last statement as he reached for his jacket and walked towards the door. "Well, I must be on my way. Can't have you monopolizing all of my time."

"Wait!" Annabeth jumped up and held up a hand almost to stop him by sheer will. "Will you be back?" She was shocked at her actions. She had never let a man come back to spend more time with him. _What's wrong with me? I can't invite him back! Then he'll get ideas that I'm interested in him, which I'm not! Well it's too late to take it back._

She waited patiently for his answer. "Of course, if...you want my company again."

"I would like it very much if you came back to visit...and maybe talk some more." _Idiot! What are you saying?! You don't want him to come back!_

Percy bowed, "I look forward to it." And with that he strode out of the door.

 _The quote that Percy says is from_ _The Great Gatsby_ _by F. Scott Fitzgerald._


	4. Chapter 4

_I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

"So...how'd it go?" Grover stood behind the bar washing wine glasses and putting them back in the rack. "Was Mr. Chase's daughter as amazing in person as her picture was?"

Percy looked off in the distance recalling his first "date" with Annabeth. "She was absolutely breathtaking."

"Well that's good. It won't be so hard to pretend so she'll fall in love with you."

The word "pretend" jolted Percy back to reality. He didn't feel like he was pretending when he was around Annabeth. There was no acting involved. Sure he had flirted shamelessly with her because he had a mission, but it wasn't hard at all to want her to like him. He was only doing this so he could get his wife better. His _wife_!

"You're right, Grover. This is for Rachel. I'm going back tomorrow afternoon and I'm going to take her for a walk."

"How romantic." Grover rolled his eyes and smirked behind his drying rag.

"It is. And I'm sure it will work. A romantic stroll through the park and then a nice picnic by the pond."

"And how are you going to _cook_ for this picnic?"

Percy raised an eyebrow and pleadingly looked at Grover. "Well I was hoping my best friend in the whole wide world would help me to think of something. Because, after all, this is ultimately for the happiness that will continue for the rest of my life." Percy then pouted his lower lip and his green eyes seemed to grow to the size of a child's.

Grover refused to be an accomplice in Percy's willy antics. "Oh no, if you want to woo the girl, you need to do it yourself. And that means give her a taste of your own cooking."

Percy didn't answer and instead continued to plead with his eyes.

Grover continued to argue his point all the while Percy just rested his head on his arms to complete the look of innocence. With a huff Grover rolled his eyes and conceded to Percy's begging.

They agreed to meet the next morning to prepare everything and woo the affections of miss Annabeth Chase.

* * *

Annabeth raced to the foyer when she heard the doorbell ring and peeped through the eye hole to see who was there. To her delight and inner turmoil, a familiar head of black, tousled hair and green eyes greeted her through the small window. Pulling back, she smoothed down her hair and then her dress to open the door and greet the gentleman.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Jackson." She dipped her chin and opened the door the entire way to offer him entrance.

Percy stepped inside the house but instead of moving past Annabeth towards the lounge, he stopped in front of her and lifted her chin to bring her gaze up to his. He heard and small gasp escape from her lips and he inwardly smiled. "It's s a good afternoon now." He smiled and continued down the hall not looking back to see if she followed.

Annabeth blinked twice before realizing the door was still wide open. She quickly closed it, composed herself and followed him to the lounge. To her dismay he hadn't removed his coat and was standing near the door when she entered, probably to make a quick escape.

"Will you not sit down, Mr. Jackson?"

"Well, I was actually hoping that I would be leaving soon." His words had the desired effect and he saw the tiniest hint of disappointment flit across her perfect features. He then revised his statement, "And, I was was hoping you would be accompanying me." A look of puzzlement washed over her and she tilted her head to show confusion. "Well, it is a beautiful day and I happen to have a picnic set out ready for our enjoyment."

While Annabeth was getting ready for bed that night, she couldn't help the smile that flitted across her features. Brushing her blonde curls, and securing it into a neat, loose plait, she thought back on her outing with Percy.

After she had gotten over her initial shock of going on a picnic in the park, she quickly donned her coat, kissed her father goodbye, and took Percy's offered arm to be escorted to their picnic. The air was a tad crisp and the wind was blowing, but the sun was out and she hadn't felt better. He was escorting her over to a large oak tree, and underneath it, she was a red checkered blanket with a picnic basket placed on the corner. Percy led her over the the blanket and even offered her a small cushion for her to sit down on, she was after all wearing a dress.

"I have only the best for the most beautiful woman in Manhattan." Percy said as he pulled out of the basket fresh bread, cheese, and fruit all cut so it could be consumed without using utensils.

She hid a small smile behind her hand as he offered her a plate of the food and got himself portions of each. They ate in relative silence until Percy reached into the basket again to pull out a small bowl of cherries.

"Oh! I haven't had a cherry in ages. My father use to take me to an old ice cream parlor and we would share a banana split, he always let me eat the cherry." She stared into the distance, remembering a time when her father was carefree.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to reacquaint you with them." Percy took a cherry by the stem and offered it to Annabeth. She surprised him when she laughed and took the cherry in her mouth from his hand, he had expected her to take it from him with her hand. His eyes widened in shocked, but it soon dissipated when he saw her small smile hidden behind her hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be so forward." She said with around the cherry pit still in her mouth.

Percy looked at her curiously and wondered what happened to the prim and proper Annabeth he met yesterday. "It's not forward at all." He replied while popping a cherry into his own mouth and spitting the seed into the grass away from them.

Annabeth raised a delicate eyebrow at this, and he just shrugged while spitting another cherry pit farther from the last one. She took this as a small challenge and spit her own pit a mighty distance away from his seeds.

His eyes widened again and looked at her in amazement. It seems she was full of surprises today. They took turns spitting their seeds to see who could shoot the them farthest, not caring if anyone saw their crass behavior, but trying to outdo each other. After ten minutes, they had an empty bowl full of stems and they conceded to a tie, although both would swear they were the winner.

Left without something to do, and not wanting to take Annabeth home quite yet, Percy picked up a stem and plopped it into his mouth. She stared at him in confusion, until he removed a perfectly tied cherry stem from his mouth.

"There, try to top that." Percy said while crossing his arms with a smirk.

Not ever wanting to back down from a challenge, Annabeth took a stem and put it into her mouth. She struggled for a while trying to get the two ends to line up perfectly for her to tie them, and it took her two more stems to figure out her tongue's configurations. Finally, she triumphantly produced the tied cherry stem from her mouth and presented it to him.

Percy clapped his hands encouragingly and praised her efforts to tie the cherry stem. It was then, that they had looked at the daylight and saw the noticeable descent of the sun. They each knew what that meant, and they simultaneously stood and packed everything back into the basket. Percy extended his left arm to escort her back home while he picked up the basket with the other. There was no rush to get back, and they both felt comfortable in each other's presence.

Reaching her front door, he stood on the first step and released her hand around his arm.

"This is where I bid thee Adieu," Percy said with a flourish of his hand.

"I had a wonderful time today. Thank you for the picnic." Annabeth said with a blush rising to her cheeks.

"I did as well. I would like to come back in a few days to sit and visit again. Maybe we can talk more about ecology. And the plants that have been in our gardens."

She smiled and nodded, "I would like that, very much. Goodbye Percy." She let him kiss her hand and she looked into his sea green eyes and she closed the door.

Annabeth turned around in the hallway to walk straight into her father. "Oh, dad, I didn't hear you there."

"It's nothing my girl, has Percy left yet? I need to talk to him."

"Yes, he's just out on the step-"

Frederick barreled past Annabeth and opened the door to call to Percy who had yet to take four steps away from the front door.

Annabeth went to follow her father to see what was so important, but the door was closed before she even took a step. _How odd, they obviously don't want me listening in on them. But then again, when have I ever minded my own business?_

She eased to the door and looked through the peephole to see her father talking animatedly to Percy, who was tucking something into his inside coat pocket. Her father seemed to be very happy about something, probably the fact that she was finally taking an interest in a man, but Percy seemed apprehensive. It was like something didn't bode well with him about what her father was saying.

Annabeth hoped it wasn't her he was apprehensive about. Sure they had spent only a total of 12 hours together, but that doesn't just erase the good time they had. She wanted to ease whatever doubts Percy was having whenever it came to visiting her or her father.

Percy stood there listening to Frederick go on about how happy he was to see his daughter infatuated with a man. He was trying to let it show how uncomfortable he was with this whole idea. But what left him the most nervous, was the fact that when he was with Annabeth, he lost sight of his goal. Which was to cure his sick wife. It did not sit well with him that Annabeth could look at him and he would just get lost in her grey gaze.

Mr. Chase was saying something to him, but all he could focus on was the unexpected or wanted emotions that were welling up inside of him. Before he knew it Mr. Chase was thrusting an envelope into his hands and saying "...thank you again. Do not hesitate to come back soon. There will be more where this came from," with a wink.

Percy hastily put the check in his coat pocket and shook Mr. Chase's hand in farewell. He waited until Frederick had made it inside before turning toward the street and starting the walk home. He made it a total of three steps when he heard the Chases' door open again.

Thinking that Mr. Chase had forgotten something, Percy turned to greet the gentleman again. He was surprised when it was not Mr. Chase, but in fact his beautiful daughter. Percy barely had time to register that it was Annabeth before she was in his personal space giving him a kiss on the cheek. She was already on the front step when he realized that she had kissed him and the door was shut by the time he could open his mouth.

He raised his hand to the warm spot on his face where her lips had been. Sure it had been brief and he did not even realize it was a kiss until it was over, but never before had he ever felt the warmth that he felt now. It started on his left cheek and radiated out until he could feel it in his fingers and toes.

Percy turned to go home with a spring in his step and the goofiest grin plastered on his face.

 _R &R_


	5. Chapter 5

_I am so happy that I everyone is enjoying! :)_

 _I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

Annabeth was on cloud nine. Never before had she felt so happy. No, she could easily call her new demeanor overjoyed. The last time she could remember being this happy was when her mother was alive. She could remember her mother taking her to the theatre and whispering to her during the play. Making funny jokes and often repeating humorous lines back to her on the way home. She missed her mother, so much so, that sometimes it was a constant ache in her chest.

The only thing lately that seemed to make the ache dissipate, or be pushed to the back of her mind, if only for a little while was Percy. _Percy...What's the matter with me? I have never been so moony over a man before and now_ he _walks into my life and now I'm sighing and wishing that I could see him more? Pathetic!_ But no matter how much she tried, she could not stop the smile that would creep up on her when she thought of something that he did or said. She could not help but sigh when she would remember the way he always kissed her hand when he would say goodbye. Of course, she would never forget the moment of bravery that she endured to leave the safety of her home and kiss him on the cheek.

Looking back, she probably should have warned him, or at least alerted him to her presence. He seemed quite alarmed when she was kissing him and she had done nothing but sit in her room, red as a tomato, afterwards and over-analyse everything that she had ever done in her entire life. But she would never regret kissing him on the cheek. She let out another tell tale sigh that alerted anyone in the room that she was thinking of Percy as she fixed her hair for their meeting later that afternoon. They had been seeing each other steadily for over three weeks now, and so far, he had yet to make a move towards her. She thought it strange that he would not even try to kiss her on the cheek. The most that he ever did has hold her hand while walking and then kiss her hand at the end of the date.

And as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted more. Usually she shunned a man's touch, but with Percy, she craved it. When he was around, she always felt like she was on a live wire. Her hand would burn when he held her hand and it would tingle after his lips had brushed her knuckles every night. So couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss those lips. She had kissed him on the cheek and had felt like she was floating the rest of the day. Would it feel the same? Would it be as electric as that was? Would he even accept her advances? What if he didn't really like her? All he ever did was kiss her hand. Maybe that's why he never kissed her.

Annabeth looked at herself in the mirror. Really looked. She had her father's blonde hair and her mother's storm grey eyes. Her face was shaped like a heart and her high cheekbones left her looking thinner that she really was. She was told her entire life that she was gorgeous, just the kind of woman that someone would want to marry. And so it had been her mission to spite all of those people and never fall in love. Now that she met a man that didn't dwell on her appearance, and instead was more interested in her intellect, she found that she wanted more of him. And if there is one thing that anyone should know about her, it was that when she set her mind to something, she would not rest until she got it. She squared her shoulders and set her jaw, she was going to get Percy Jackson to fall in love with her like she had with him.

* * *

"I'm in trouble Grover, big trouble."

Percy walked into the bar looking like he hadn't slept in three days. Although his hair always had a messy look to it, it was now downright disheveled and his eyes had dark circles under them.

"What's wrong? It looks like you've been up for three days straight." Grover took Percy's jacket, hung it over a chair and then poured him two fingers of scotch.

"I have another date with Annabeth," Percy stated taking a long sip of the drink.

"That's nothing new. You've been seeing her for a while now."

"No that's not the problem. The problem is: I forget."

Grover looked at Percy with a confused look on his face. "Forget what?"

Percy took another sip and when it didn't do the intended job, he started to pull his hair in frustration. "I forget everything!" Percy turned to Grover with a panicked expression. "I forget where we are. I forget that there is anything else going on. I forget that I'm being **paid** to date Annabeth. I forget that I'm **married**! I forget **everything**! It's like, when we're together, we are the only things that matter anymore. And I find myself forgetting that her father is paying to help my sick wife. I find that I want to forget that. I-"

"You're falling in love with her," Grover stated matter of factly.

Percy sighed and ran a hand over his eyes. "Yes, I am. I am falling in love with Annabeth Chase." Saying it aloud made it even more real that he wanted to admit. He was still married for crying out loud. But when he was with Annabeth, it didn't matter. None of it mattered. All that did matter was that he was in the company of an intelligent, amazing, gorgeous woman who for some reason, decided that she wanted to be around him.

Grover laid a hand on Percy's shoulder and took away the half empty glass of scotch. "So...what are you going to do about it?"

Percy sat for a long time and thought through exactly that. What was he going to do? He loved Annabeth, but there was still a part of him that loved his wife. She would always be a part of him, but another part of him knew that it was time to move on. Rachel would want him to be happy. But he was happy with her when she was healthy, and with the money that Annabeth's father was giving him, he could get that happiness back.

But Annabeth made him happy too. More happy than he could recall being. He had gone into a dark place when Rachel got sick. Annabeth was able to pull him out of that darkness and bring him back into the light. She was fun and challenged him to be better. She was not the typical, swooning, giggling dame that he thought all women were. She was intelligent and wanted to make something of herself other than what society wanted from her. She was brilliant, and he could find happiness with her.

"I'm going to tell her the truth," Percy said definitively.

"Why?" Grover asked.

"Because I love her, and she deserves to know the truth."

Grover patted Percy's shoulder and said, "I'll support whatever you do. I'm sure that Annabeth will understand, if not now, then in time. Plus, who knows, maybe in the future you too can start over and make it real."

"...But to her, this IS real, and it was starting to get real for me too."

"Ah, I see. Well, good luck man. When are you going to tell her?"

"Tonight. I'm going over to her house for dinner. Afterwards, I'll tell her the truth. I'll pick up the rest of the money, and then I'll go home. Hopefully this is last payment will cover Rachel's expenses. Then we can take it day by day after that."

"Well, I wish you all the luck." Grover handed Percy his coat as he rose off of the stool to leave.

"Thank you, Grover. See you on the other side." With those parting words, Percy left the bar and went home to get ready for his last date with Annabeth.

 _R &R_


	6. Chapter 6

_I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

Percy laid down his napkin over the empty plate and patted Mr. Chase on the shoulder.

"Mr. Chase, please give my compliments to your cook, it was a marvelous dinner tonight. You are a lucky man to be in the company of such fine ladies." Percy said the last sentence all while locking eyes with Annabeth.

She was sitting across the table from him, and all through dinner she had been giving him shy glances and hidden smirks that she knew he saw, but didn't know she purposefully gave them. She had made up her mind to finally woo him. To make him realize that they we meant for each other. Tonight was the night that she would confess her feelings for him. Nothing could go wrong. She had strategized about this the whole afternoon and the plan was going swimmingly.

"Oh, please Percy, call me Frederick. You've earned it." Frederick clapped Percy on the shoulder and smiled at him then looked at Annabeth. "Well, I shall retire to my office if you two want to go into the sitting room and talk," he said as he rose from the table. "Have a lovely night you too." Frederick winked at Percy and gave Annabeth a kiss on the cheek before leaving the dining room.

Percy stood and extended his arm to Annabeth. "Well, shall we?"

Annabeth stood as well and took his arm. She peaked up at him from underneath her lashes, "We shall."

Percy and Annabeth had spend a wonderful afternoon together, but Percy could not help but think that there was something a little...off with Annabeth. The entire time they talked she was always sitting close to him, or putting a hand on his arm, or tucking one of his errant pieces of hair behind his ear. It was quite distracting and did nothing to help him focus on his real mission. He had to tell her the truth, today, if it was the last thing he did.

Annabeth could not help but notice that there was something a little...off with Percy. Everytime she would try to initiate contact between them, he would tense up and go stiff as a board. She would try to sit close to him and make things a little more intimate but he would scoot farther away from her. She would lay a hand on his arm to offer comfort but she could feel his muscles tensing up like he wanted to run away at any second. It was quite discouraging for her to see that he was immune to her advances, but that did not deter her from her mission. She was going to make him admit that he was falling in love with her, today, if it was the last thing she did.

As the conversation turned towards her studies she smiled inwardly, forming a plan in her mind that could not possibly fail. Percy was talking animatedly about architecture and her interest in pursuing a job there. That was one of the things she loved about him, he was always encouraging her to do what she wanted. She could follow her dreams, when she was with him, she felt like she could take on the Hades himself.

"...he's a really nice guy. He's more of a mechanic, but he dabbles in architecture. If you want, I can have him meet you and you two can talk to your hearts' content. Mostly because most of the things you'll say will go way over my head." Percy gave her that half smile that made her insides melt.

"That sounds lovely, I would love to meet Charles sometime. He sounds like a good friend to you."

"Oh, he sure is. We grew up together, but nothing can beat my best friend Grover. He owns the bar down on nineteenth. We have been best friends since birth. We know everything about each other. He would kill me if he found out I told you this, but he has this thing for nature. He even writes poetry."

"Poetry? That's amazing. In fact, I was just reading a book about poetry earlier, it's not the nature type, but still fascinating none the less."

"Really? Maybe I should read it and give Grover a few tips," Percy laughed at this, and Annabeth smirked knowing her plan was now set into action.

"You should, in fact," Annabeth got up and retrieved a book lying on the end table. "Why don't you read it aloud? I think that poetry is much more beautiful when read to someone instead to oneself." Annabeth handed him the book and he opened it to the bookmark.

Annabeth walked around to the back of the couch and leaned over Percy's shoulder to point at the spot where she wanted him to start. "Just keep reading from right, there."

Percy cleared his throat at its sudden dryness and began to read. " _From the beginning of my life I have been looking for your face, but today I have seen it._ " Percy fidgeted, slightly uncomfortable now knowing that he was reading a love poem. " _Today I have seen the charm, the beauty, the unfathomable grace of the face that I was looking for_." Annabeth all the while had been rubbing his shoulders then walking around the chair to sit on the armrest to look at the words herself. Percy found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the words on the page, when he has the very woman that described everything he was saying perched so close to him. He could smell her hair at this proximity. She smelled like lemons and something distinctly Annabeth. Her arm was perched on the back of the chair but it quickly came down around his shoulders to give her more stability on the armrest. She would occasionally lean in to read the words and her cheek would be so close to his lips it was a struggle not to close the distance and kiss her.

Percy blinked several times to try and clear away the cloudiness that was in his eyes from basking in her presence. He cleared his throat again to try and remove the huskiness there and prayed that he made it through the rest of the poem. " _Your fragrant breath like the morning breeze, has come to the stillness of the garden. You have breathed new life into me, I have become your sunshine and also your shadow_." Percy couldn't help but remember the first conversation they had together about gardens and how that was what love was like. He had told her that he was an orchid because he was one of a kind and special. Now, with her sitting so close to him and him reading this poem, he realized that she had now become a fixture in his garden of life. Something that he could not afford, but yet something that he did not want to get rid of. They had their own garden now, and he was hesitant to let it die.

" _Your effulgence has lit a fire in my heart, for me the earth and sky. My arrow of love has arrived at the target_." Percy was completely engrossed in the words of truth he was reading, and Annabeth was completely wrapped around his essence, that she slipped into his lap to get closer to the man that inspired the feelings raging within her. They were cheek to cheek before Annabeth or Percy realized what had happened, but neither pulled away from the other. Percy could feel her warm breath fan across his cheek as he read the last lines of the poem. " _My heart has burned with passion and has searched forever for this wondrous beauty that I now hold._ "

There was a silence that seemed to extend forever. Percy was all too soon aware of the closeness of Annabeth in his lap and felt his arms instinctively wrap around her. He looked up into her eyes and was immediately lost in her grey orbs. Her arms tightened around his neck and his went around her waist so that they were as close as they could possibly be to each other. And then, in silent agreement, they both closed the distance between their lips. This meeting was so long awaited and the actual deed was so much greater than either of them could have imagined. Percy's hand went to the back of Annabeth's head to curl into her blonde tresses and her hand went to the nape of his neck to pull him closer to her.

They both pulled away from each other, not saying a word and both feeling that the kiss had ended all too soon. Annabeth opened her mouth to say something but Percy couldn't have cared because he pulled her back to him and kissed her again. Their first kiss had been sweet and slow. Just a meeting of lips. But this one held all of their pent up passion for one another. Their unsaid feelings and everything that they were wanting to say to the other was said through that kiss. Annabeth put both of her hands on either side of his face to deepen the kiss, and that's when one word popped into his mind that felt like a cold bucket of water was dumped on him.

 _Rachel._ That was it. He stiffened underneath her lips and she immediately knew something was wrong. He gently pulled away from her and she saw panic in his eyes.

Annabeth tried to recover from what just happened and hide her disappointment at being stopped. "Did...did I do something wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

Percy looked up startled at her question. _Done something wrong? Never._

"Oh sweetie, of course not. You did everything right...it's just…"

"What?"

"Annabeth….I love you, but...I'm married."

 _ **Cliffhanger! AHHHHHHHH**_

 _The poem read by Percy is Rumis "Looking For Your Face"._


	7. Chapter 7

_I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

 _Annabeth,...I love you, but...I'm married._

Annabeth did the worst thing that I could have imagined and that is just stare at me. She didn't scream or hit me or even cry, she just stared at me like I had betrayed her. Which, I kind of did. I just wish that she would have used her spitfire attitude to do something instead of curling in on herself. All of a sudden, it felt like I had killed the most precious thing in the world. She was no longer the strong, independent woman that I had fallen in love with, she was a fragile girl who just had her heart broken.

And it was all my fault.

"Annabeth?" I hesitantly asked. I reached my hand up to try and caress her cheek but she flinched away from me.

"Annabeth...please...let me explain."

I reached my other hand up to try and cup her face but she backed away from me until she hit a wall, like a frightened animal.

"Please Annabeth," I stood to walk towards her and explain myself. "I need you to know…"

"I think you should go." That barely uttered sentence made me stop in my tracks. That was the last straw. I had utterly, and truly broken her. But for whatever reason, my feet were frozen to the spot and my legs refused to move.

"But, Annabeth."

"Just...go."

And with that, she strood out of the room and left me alone. I heard her footsteps going up the stairs, presumably to her room, and shut the door. That was when the world fell out from under me. Literally.

I fell to the floor and sat back on my haunches. My hands went to my hair and pulled. This was the most tortuous thing that I had put myself through. It was like I had just cleaved my heart in two. My chest ached and my legs could not longer hold me, so I sat on the floor in her sitting room, utterly defeated.

Was this the price I would pay? I purposefully came into Annabeth's life just for money. I tricked her, wooed her, and made her putty in my hands. How was I supposed to know that I would fall in love with her? How was I supposed to know that in return, I would become putty in her hands.

Realizing that I would not be able to fix anything just sitting on the floor of her house, I got up, left, and just started walking.

I didn't have any destination in mind, I just walked. I barely registered that I was in the park. The same park where we had spent countless hours walking, talking, laughing, and falling in love.

I walked all the way to the Manhattan Bridge and just stopped. Looking out over the River, I realized how fragile life is. I could have spared myself all of this pain. I could have saved Annabeth all of the trouble of meeting me. In a matter of months, I changed someone's life for the worse. And in retaliation, she burrowed her way into my life and changed it. I don't know if Annabeth changed my life for the better, but I'm glad she changed it.

I knew what I had to do now. It would take time, years maybe, but I was going to fix the mess I made. I was going to make everything better for everyone. I was going to make everything right.

* * *

The second I got to my room, I cried. I did nothing but cry. I flopped face first onto my bed, picked up a pillow and wailed. It was the most I had cried since my mother's death. But this pain was ten times worst. My chest hurt so that every time I shuddered or hiccupped, my sternum ached.

I never knew that a broken heart could physically hurt you like it did. I thought it was all emotional, something that you cried out of your system and moved on from. But this ache, burned from the inside out. My hands hurt from clenching the pillow too hard, my face was raw and red from all the crying, and my back hurt from staying curled up into a ball for so long.

I cried for what seemed like hours. By the time I had the strength or energy to pick my head up and open my eyes, the sun was rising. I had cried through the night and not once had my father come up to see if I was alright. For the first time in the last twelve hours, I felt an emotion. for the past twelve hours I had felt empty, but now, they were slowly coming back to me. The first thing I remembered how to feel was anger.

I was angry at Percy for using me and making me think that he actually had feelings for me. I was angry at my father for not caring enough to check up on me to make sure I was fine. I was angry at myself for being so stupid and falling in love with someone like Percy. I should have known that someone like Percy was too perfect to be true.

At first, I thought that this was just a passing fad. I would say something in a few days after meeting Percy and he would hightail it out of my life within a week. But he stayed around. He seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say, my opinions, and dreams. After a while, he was all there was. I couldn't wait until I was with him again and he became all that I cared about.

I should have known that there was something wrong. Of course someone as amazing as Percy was married. Some lucky girl had snatched him up and been happily married. I was too late.

My anger was slowly turning into self pity but I refused to sit in my room and wallow in that. Self pity is what weak women had when they didn't get what they wanted. Well, I had always been a strong woman, that got what she wanted. I wouldn't allow this to stop me from doing what I wanted to do with my life. I wouldn't allow Percy Jackson, to stop me and make me think that I was worth less than I knew I was. Well, I knew who I was, and I was going to do something about it.

At lunchtime I made myself presentable enough to come down and speak to my father. My bags were already packed and all I needed was to confront my dad about it. After everything that I had gone through, there was no way he could deny me this.

I stood outside the door to the dining room and took a breath. It was time that I took my life into my own hands. With that last vote of confidence, I strood into the doors and faced my father.

"Annabeth! I missed you this morning for breakfast. Are you not feeling well?" It was hard to ignore the look of genuine concern on his face, but I couldn't cave now.

"Do you know what happened last night? Between me and Percy?"

My father was obviously confused and rose to meet me. "What do you mean? How could I know what happened between the two of you? I mean, I figured you wouldn't want me to meddle in your personal life, so I kept my distance."

I stood there and looked into his eyes. Those blue eyes that were so familiar to me. I vaguely registered that my heart wanted to see another pair of eyes, a pair of deep sea green eyes, but my next words shook me back to reality. "He was married."

That stopped my father in his tracks. He was only a few steps away from his chair so he sat back down. "Married? He never told me he was married."

"Well he was,"

"Why didn't he mention this to me?"

"And he so graciously told me so after I basically threw myself at him."

"I never would have paid him if I would have known he was married."

We had been talking at the same time, but up until that point I wasn't paying that much attention to my father. But now, his last statement came loud and clear.

"You...paid him?"

"Well…"

"You, bribed him to see me?" My eyes had started to fill with tears but I quickly wiped them away and advanced upon my father with betrayal and hurt flashing in my grey eyes.

"Okay yes! I paid him to start seeing you."

"For how long?"

"I beg your pardon?"

I was extremely agitated by now and wanted to be out of my father's presence as soon as possible. "How long were you paying Percy to pretend to love me?"

"Oh, my sweet girl." He went to reach out for me but I adamantly took a step back and out of his reach. Defeated, he lowered his hand, I motioned with my head for him to continue his confession. "I saw him in the bar and offered him money to see you on one date. I then said that I would double the check if he could get you to go on more dates with him. I didn't expect you to actually get to know him. I just thought that it would bring you out of your little phase of rejecting men."

I looked at him incredulously but he continued.

"I was eventually going to have him stop seeing you, but you seemed so happy. The happiest I've seen you in a while, and I didn't want to lose that."

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you that, you failed. You did lose me. Because of your meddling I had my heart broken."

"I'm so sorry my girl. I know that nothing I do or say can change what I have done to you, but is there anything I can do to try and make it up to you?"

This was my chance. I could finally pursue my dream and leave behind everything that had happened to me in the past. I could finally make a future for myself. "After everything that you did to me, I have the right to never speak to you again."

He hung his head in shame for his actions and I took pity on him. "But, at the end of the day, you are still my father, and I love you."

He looked up at me with relief flooding his features. He jumped up to hug me and I let him. After the appropriate amount of time I disentangled myself from his arms and continued. "But, that doesn't mean that I forgive you, yet. Give me time and space, and I know that I can work past this."

"Yes, I'll give you as much time as you need. If you want to take some time and go to the country, you've got it. I just want your forgiveness."

I shook my head at his antics. "I don't want to go to the country to work this out. I want to make something of myself. Dad, I want to go to school, and learn to be an architect."

 _A little bit of a longer chapter, but that's okay. There is more to come! R &R_


	8. Chapter 8

_I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

 _ **Five Years Later**_

Percy entered the new bar with a little girl in tow. Smiling down at the little girl holding so tightly to his hand, he glanced around the interior. It looked so different than he remembered it five years ago. Grover did a good job with the renovations. It had taken him a lot of time and money to get this done, but it was his dream. And by the looks of it, that dream was paying off.

The outside was modern and upbeat. Welcoming to all ages and in a good part of the neighborhood. Five years ago, Grover's bar was just that, a bar. It was small and crowded and had only one restroom. But now, it was a fully functional bar and restaurant. The front was a classy but modern restaurant that served lunch and dinner, open until ten. Then on the right side near the wall, there was a ramp leading down to a split level. That was where the men could go and have a few drinks at the bar. All in all, the space was roomy but yet inviting and everything flowed together perfectly. Who ever the mastermind behind this entire design deserved a medal.

The place was busy. As it should be on the grand re-opening. Grover was milling around and greeting customers, but Percy knew that it wouldn't be long until Grover would want to get back to work, cleaning glasses and wiping down bar stools. Not waiting to be seated at a booth, Percy walked right up to Grover and clapped him on the back.

"Hey there old sport. Everything is looking gorgeous."

"Perce! Glad you like the place."

"Like it, it's amazing! The whole building is different."

"Yeah, well. I was planning on keeping everything the same, but Juniper had a friend in college that was an architect. Highly recommended, and so she pulled a few strings and I got the whole building reconstructed."

"Obviously whoever did this is a genius."

"Oh yeah, well hopefully you'll get to meet her. She's coming tonight to see if everything is turning out the way we envisioned it."

I was momentarily confused by Grover's comment stating that his architect was a woman, but this was a time of change. Women were empowered and could have a life of their own. Of course, if she was Juniper's friend, she had to be pretty amazing. I had only met one woman in my entire life that was spectacular enough to accomplish something like this, and she was long gone from my life now.

"There's my girl!"

I had almost forgotten who I had entered the bar with. I smiled down at the gorgeous little red-head that had previously been holding my hand, but was now clutching desperately at Grover's leg. Lilly was a beautiful little three year old that was the spitting image of her mother. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied up into pigtails and her green dress complemented her eyes perfectly.

"Daddy! I missed you!"

Lilly gave Grover the biggest kiss on the cheek I had ever seen, and was glad to see Grover so happy with his daughter. Juniper and Grover had met four years ago at a cafe and they had been inseparable ever since. Two and a half years ago, little Lilly was born and that is when they decided that Grover's little bar was not going to be enough of an income. Luckily, Juniper came from a wealthier family that invested in Grover's business and supported their decisions all the way.

"I missed you too, cupcake. How was your day at Uncle Percy's?"

"It was great daddy! Uncle Perce took me to the park and we got ice cream and then we watched the clouds and then we went to the new fountain and he let me throw a penny in to make a wish and then we watched the ducks in the pond!"

"Oh wow! That sounds like a busy day." Grover winked at me and tickled her sides that sent her into a giggling fit. He spotted Juniper at a table near the bar and gestured to Lilly. "Hey baby girl, how about you go over to mommy and tell her all about your day so you can eat? Sound good?"

"Yessssssss." She scrambled down from Grover's arms and ran over to Juniper who opened her arms and sat Lilly on her lap to hear her retelling of her day.

"She didn't cause you too much trouble did she?"

"Oh, never. My favorite goddaughter would never cause me any trouble." I joked around with Grover about Lilly being my favorite considering she was my only.

"Well that's good to hear. So, how have you been since you've been back in the states?"

I shrugged and gave him a nod. "I'm fine. I had enough time to unpack my bags before you dropped off Lilly on my doorstep asking for me to babysit so you could do some finishing touches up here."

Grover laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. "Well, it's good to have you home."

We talked an conversed for a few minutes about mundane and ordinary things. After Grover greeted a new customer that gave him a good review, we fell into a comfortable silence, until Grover brought up some unhappy memories.

"So, have you been to see her?"

I hesitated and sighed before nodding. "Yeah, I visited her."

"You seem to be taking it well."

"Well, it's been five years. So, I think that I've had enough time to get over it, but it's still hard to think about."

"Hey, you know that Rachel wouldn't want you to be grieving this long over her. She was giving one of the toughest fights of her life, but it was time for her to let go."

"I know, but it's still hard to let go of your first love."

"Believe me I know it. If something happened to Juniper I'd probably die. But you always were the stronger man, Percy. And I believe that your heart was healed and moved on from Rachel before you knew it. And by the time you came to realize that you would survive without Rachel, it was too late, and you were left alone anyway."

This was the one subject that I couldn't face. I could face the death of my wife, I could face the travelling over an ocean to get away from Manhattan, but I still had trouble thinking about _her. Annabeth._ Even to this day, her name sent a rush of happiness through me followed by a sense of defeat. I still hadn't forgiven myself for what I did to her, so I tried to run away from everything.

I didn't want to remember everything that had happened between us, so I returned all of the money that Frederick had given me, I said my goodbyes to Rachel, and I took off. I travelled around for a few months but ended up in England and that is where I had been for the past four years. While I was there I had written a book and was now a writer for the Manhattan Times. Now that I was back, I figured now was as good a time as any to finally face my past.

"So, wouldn't you agree that this place is brilliant?" Grover broke the silence that had fallen over us, and we now steered the conversation to safer waters.

"Extremely. Who did you say that your architect was again?"

"I didn't. I was waiting for you to ask yourself."

"Well, who is it?"

"Yeah, Percy, well, about that." Grover was fidgeting and acting as if he had too much caffeine in his coffee that morning. All of a sudden he wouldn't look me in the eye and there was a guilty look plastered onto his face.

"What did you do, Grover?"

Grover didn't answer, instead he just looked up, but he didn't look at me. He was looking behind me, over my shoulder at someone that had just come through the door.

I turned also and realized why Grover had that guilty look on his face. I saw the familiar princess waves first. They were pulled half up underneath a stylish hat that was now being taken with her coat by the maitre'd. After that I noticed her face, it hadn't changed except that it had matured. She no longer looked like a young, strong willed young girl. This was a mature woman who knew what she wanted, and would go to great lengths to get it. She was wearing a maroon dress that flowed around her legs and contrasted her skin perfectly.

Annabeth walked right up to Grover and I, all while looking around the bar and not seeing us. It wasn't until she was right in front of us that I could see her eyes. They were the same beautiful shade of grey that I remembered. They could still see right through me and leave me feeling bare and exposed.

We made eye contact and she stopped in her tracks. With a stunned expression at seeing me again I vaguely heard her say. "Hello there, Percy."

 _R &R_


	9. Chapter 9

_I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

Stepping inside my first big project was a dream come true. Sure I had remodeled my dad's old home and I had designed my current home, but this was the first time I had put my degree to good use and created something that the public would be in. The lighting was perfect for the modern but inviting atmosphere. My whole goal with this place was to make a gathering place for both family and friends. Men could go back to the bar and grunt their responses, or they could bring their families for a nice dinner.

Immediately, I saw Juniper sitting at a table with her daughter, Lilly. I waved at her and she excitedly waved back. She gave me an encouraging thumbs up, indicating that the night was successful and there were raving reviews about the place.

Juniper and I met in college. We happened to be in an environmental science class together and we instantly connected. It was also a big plus that we were both from Manhattan. She had let me stay with her and her parents during breaks until my dad and I fixed our relationship. After that, we always were at one or the other's house. When she came back to her home during Christmas break, she started going to a local cafe, and that's where she met Grover.

I on the other hand, went out and built myself a home so that I could escape Manhattan every once in awhile so that I could think and create. During college, I had found that I did my best imagining and thinking outdoors. There was a big oak tree on campus that was my favorite spot, and if that happened to be taken, I reported to a small fountain out of the way of the quad.

After my house was built, I went back to dad's and he asked me to remodel our home. I couldn't bear thinking of changing the house that I had grown up in, but he insisted that I had a talent that needed worked. All during those times, I was still close with Juniper. I was her maid of honor in her wedding and I arranged her baby shower when she found out she was pregnant with Lilly. It was late in her pregnancy when she mentioned that Grover had been wanting to expand his bar, but they never had the gusto to proceed with the renovations. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to help my friends out and started giving Grover ideas right away.

I told them that I would work for little cost and would accept being Lilly's godmother as payment, but Juniper insisted that money was no problem, because her parents were supporting them wholeheartedly for giving them a grandchild.

I hadn't stepped foot inside the building since last week and that was when the handlers were still installing some kitchen appliances and the tables were still being varnished. But now, standing inside the finished product, the past five years were worth it.

Juniper gestured to the right and that's where I saw Grover standing in the corner talking to a customer. I handed my coat and hat over to the maitre'd and started to walk towards him. I wanted to stop and talk to him about the bar and what a success it was. How well it turned out and how proud I am that we could pull something like this off. He looked at me a little panicky, like he was caught in a trap, but I brushed it off as grand opening jitters.

As I approached, the customer that was previously talking to Grover must have sense his mood change, because he stiffened and turned to face me. That was when I knew why Grover looked so guilty. Everything that I had been running away from for the past five years had come crashing back around me. I was no longer the strong, independent architect. I was that stupid, love struck girl that had her heart broken. All of this came back to me when I laid eyes on Percy Jackson.

"Hello there, Percy."

I mean what else was I supposed to say? _Hey there champ. Looking dapper as always. I see you like coming to the bar._ No, that would not do. It gave me little satisfaction to see that he also appeared to be in the same dilemma that I was in. His mouth was slightly open in disbelief and his eyes looked shocked.

I hated to admit it, but he was still as handsome as ever. Five years really did a lot for him. His hair was still messy and unkempt and his eyes had that sweet but cocky glint to them. _His eyes._ I could remember a time where I could pass away an afternoon by just remembering their intensity and how they would look at me as if I were the entire world.

I was startled out of my reverie when I heard Percy clear his throat awkwardly.

"Yeah, Hi." He gave me an awkward smile and ran his hand through his hair. "So...Annabeth…...you come here often?"

If I wasn't still so shocked I would have thought that question was funny. Of course I didn't go there often, it was the grand re-opening. But of course, being the flustered, awkward, twit that I was, I retorted with, "No, you?"

As soon as those words left my mouth I felt like smacking my palm to my forehead. I was such a ditz.

Luckily, Grover broke the awkward conversation with a hearty laugh and a clap to both our shoulders.

"Well, it seems that you two have just spared me the introductions." With that both of us looked at Grover with different intensities. I look at him with mild irritation while Percy's look was one of betrayal. I suppose I would have looked at him the same way if I found out that my best friend had been in touch with my sort-of-ex-girlfriend for the past five years.

Grover must have misinterpreted our looks because he quickly excused himself to go and sit with his wife and daughter, leaving Percy and I to stand by ourselves in the middle of the room.

Percy broke the silence, "Would you like to get a table and get something to eat?"

What was I supposed to say? Sure, I had mostly gotten over our rather dramatic break up, but part of me was still seething about what he did to me.

Taking my silence as an answer his eyes seemed to dim a little and quickly added, "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. Or you could sit at a table and I could sit at the bar. Because I didn't want to assume that you would want to eat with me-"

"Sure."

That response startled the both of us. Percy had that glint back in his eye and it made it impossible for me to turn him down. After all, it was just lunch and I was starving.

He ushered me over to a table near the back where the lighting was low and pulled out my chair for me. If it weren't for the circumstances that brought us apart I would have thought that his gestures were romantic and he was trying to woo me.

We ordered our drinks first and then the main course, I with a simple chicken parm dish while he got the meatloaf special. Afterwards came the awkward silence. I wish I could have known what he was thinking because if his expressions were anything to go by, he was having one of the most difficult inner turmoils I had ever seen. He would look like he would want to say something before his mind caught up to his actions and he would stop with wide eyes. He would then shrink back into his chair and look right and left as if debating with himself.

After our drinks came and the wait for our meals became more drawn out, I decided to take pity on him and start the conversation.

"So, I see your favorite color is still blue." Gesturing to his blue shirt and tie.

He gave me that cheeky grin that, though I hated to admit it, still made me go a little weak at the knees. "Yeah, there is something about the color blue. It's calming and inviting."

"Yes it is." There it was. That awkward silence was back. Finally he found something to say in between his inner arguement.

"And you….you finally left and went to school. Obviously it paid off if you designed Grover's new business."

"Um, yeah." I decided not to comment on how awkward he sounded. "I went to university after….a few days. There I met Juniper and we've been best friends since." I gave him a smile that was surprisingly less forced that I thought it would be. He gave me a hesitant one back and it gave me confidence to continue. "So, what have you been doing these past years?"

He looked around and took in the whole scene set before him. "Travelled mostly. Only to the places where there was an ocean and I could be outdoors. Scotland was particularly beautiful and then I settled down in England for a while."

That interested me. Here I thought he would be moping around trying to think about what he did wrong to me and waiting for me to get back. I was a little bit disappointed that he wasn't heartbroken over what had happened between us. But I resolutely said to myself that it was water under the bridge and I should let it go.

"That sounds amazing."

"It was. So what was-"

Before he could finish his thought, our food had arrived, but just as the waiter was just out of earshot and we had gotten our first bites in, he continued.

"So what was your favorite thing to do at University, other than learn architecture."

I must have made a funny face or noise, because his eyebrows rose and his eyes got wide at my expression. I started to talk about all of my experiences at Uni and was animatedly going through each semester until his ridiculous smile became so big that it brought me back to myself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to babble on about uni."

"No need to apologize. I like hearing about something that you're passionate about."

And there it was again. The elephant in the room. The temperature around us seemed to drop ten degrees. Both of our expressions changed, his to realization at his statement and mine to an impassive mask. The entire time that we had been in each other's presence tonight, you could almost think that we could move on and be friends. But there was that uncomfortable knot in my stomach that I had had for the past five years that I could never quite get rid of.

Bringing myself back to the present and realizing that our past was never going to be water under the bridge until we fully discussed it with each other, I marched onward.

"Are you sure your wife won't mind that you're sitting here with me?"

It was harsh, I knew. But it needed to be addressed.

Percy looked as if I had just kicked his dog. His eyes got glassy and his brow furrowed.

"No, she won't mind." He got quiet all of a sudden.

Of course I took his low volume as guilt setting in that he was yet again cheating on his wife and I knew about it. "Oh, well, then your relationship must be a very trusting one if she doesn't care that you're having lunch with another woman."

I couldn't help but keep the accusation out of my voice. He looked pained, probably because the weight of what he put me and his wife through was finally being put out in the open. It serves him right for cheating on his wife and only dating me for money.

Before I could come up with another acidic but truthful barb he looked at me with one of the most open expressions I had ever seen on him. It stopped me in my tracks and made me swallow whatever horrible thing was about to spew from my mouth.

"She won't mind because she died five years ago."

 _R &R_


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you so much for hanging in till the end. I appreciate all of your reviews and kind words. Here is the last chapter of Orchids in Manhattan._

 _I do not own any of this. Percy Jackson belongs to the beloved Uncle Rick and the storyline goes to the amazing Michelle Do for her play of the same name._

 _"She won't mind because she died five years ago."_

Admitting the words out loud was a lot easier than it had been in the past. I had been given the proper time to mourn, but I believe I began mourning her death long before she ever passed. After that, I hate to admit it, but I ran. I ran away from my pain, my sin, and anything that would remind me of Annabeth.

But now, with the truth finally out, I felt like a better man. I felt hope flutter in my chest. That even though there was probably no way of us ever mending the rift that came between us, I hoped that we could atleast be friends.

"She….she died?"

"Yeah, she had an advanced stage of leukemia." I visibly swallowed.

Annabeth looked as though she wanted to say something, but she stopped and silently nodded for me to continue. A small part of me was glad that she was willing to sit and listen to my side of the story.

"I...thought that she was going to get better. She did once. When we first got married she was really sick, but it passed. Turns out the cancer was just going dormant until was too late to do anything. It got to be too much for her body that the doctors kept her in a medical coma. By the time I got enough money to get her out of it, they were afraid that she had been stationary for too long. I foolishly thought that by getting another job and getting more money, I could pay for her treatment, therapy, and the hospital bills. But even the second job couldn't even cover half of that."

I had begun to look at the wall behind her. It seemed to offer some comfort. For I knew that the moment that I looked into her grey eyes, I would have been lost and broken down right in the middle of the restaurant. So it startled me when I felt a hand tentatively reach over and grasp mine. Apparently she didn't expect for herself to do that either, she seemed just as surprised as I was. That small gesture gave me the courage to continue.

"And so, I had started to lose hope that she would ever get better. For weeks the doctors kept telling me that the chances of her waking up again were very slim. They kept telling me to say my goodbyes and let them "take away her suffering". But I was suffering because I couldn't think that she couldn't beat it. And so, I went to Grover to talk and drink away my problems. And that's where I met a man. A man, with a beautiful and smart daughter with a feisty disposition."

I stopped and tried to gage her reaction to where the story was headed. She didn't seem to mind that we were now heading into sensitive territory, if anything she was curious about my side of the story and wanted the whole truth before making another judgement call on my character. I was happy to oblige.

"And so, he offered to pay me to date his daughter. I thought that it could be my chance to finally save my wife. I didn't expect to fall completely and hopelessly in love with the man's daughter. Somewhere, between pining for my dying wife by being a good husband, and working two jobs, I had lost who I was. But, this amazing, fantastic, wonderful woman came into my life, and reminded me of who I was, and who I wanted to be. She turned me into the man that I knew my wife would be proud of, and she made me see that my life would go on."

I looked up at her and saw her chest heave with emotion, but there was no way I could stop now, the truth had to be said aloud.

"I fell in love with that woman. But I hurt her, by omitting the truth from her, I hurt her in a way that no woman deserves from the man she cares for. And so, I decided to do right by her, and my wife. My wife died a week later and then I started travelling. I wanted time to think, and it didn't take me long to realize that this woman was the greatest thing that could have happened to me, but by the time I made it back to Manhattan I was too late. She had left and I was alone and lonely."

I saw Annabeth start to tear up and she quickly looked away from me and tilted her head up to keep the tears at bay. She was trying to be the strong independent woman that everyone thought she was, but I knew that she was a woman who had her heart broken.

"You don't have to do that you know. Be strong."

"Oh yes I do," she replied. "I've had my heart broken in the most horrible way possible and now the same man sits before me and confesses that I was the 'greatest thing that ever happened to him'?! I gave up my life to you, I was ready to love you for the rest of my life but you were married and only dated me for money. So forgive me if I'm guarded around you, but I don't think my heart could take another round of being in your presence."

My eyes closed and though it pained me to hear those words, she was right. I deserved every moment that she was distant towards me. But I couldn't stop myself from hoping that we would somehow be able to start anew.

"Annabeth please," I reached for her hand across the table but she ripped it away and stood abruptly.

"No Percy." She turned from me but didn't walk away, I could hear the tears in her voice but I knew she would refuse to let any fall. "You once told me that love was like a garden, well our garden is dying, and there is no way for us to save it."

I stood as well and tried to reach for her, to reassure her that we could try and work this out that we could eventually be happy together. But she just took two more steps back from me and went to get her coat. I followed her to the front door and pleaded once more with her.

"Annabeth please, just give us a chance. Give me a chance. Give me the chance to treat you with the love and respect that you deserve. No more secrets, nothing but honesty, please." I was begging now, but if it worked, it would be worth every ounce of dignity that I was giving up.

Annabeth sighed and started to put her arms into the sleeves of her coat. I thought she was going to leave without answering me but she turned with the buttons done and said, "I am willing to listen to what you have to say, but do not be disappointed when I do not change my mind. For when my good opinion of you is lost, it is almost assuredly lost forever."

I felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. She was going to listen to me and let me try and make up for what I did. Even if she didn't forgive me right away, it would be my goal in life to try and fall into her good graces again.

Annabeth turned toward the door, but stopped with her hand on the handle.

"Percy?"

"Yes?"

"What kind of flower am I?"

I thought for a moment, trying to think back to our first conversation about gardens, flowers, and love. When I had failed to answer right away, she turned her head and made eye contact with me, her hand still on the door.

Looking deep into her grey eyes, I knew my answer immediately.

"You're an orchid like me. You're unique, special, and rare. It only takes one orchid to change someone."

With those words, she turned and walked out of the door, leaving me staring at her retreating back, uttering the words, "and you don't find many orchids in Manhattan."

The End

 _That's all folks! R &R_


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